In various accidents involving injury to a person or patient, the patient is often immobilized at the scene for treatment and transport. This is particularly true for any apparent injury to the head, neck and/or spine of the patient. In such cases, and certainly for head/neck injuries, the head and cervical spine areas of the patient are routinely immobilized to prevent further injury during transport to a medical facility.
For such immobilization, devices such as rigid backboards are typically used to support and assist in immobilizing the patient during this time. The patient is strapped or otherwise secured to the backboard. A head immobilization device or immobilizer is also used in addition to a backboard. For example, the patient is placed on a board and stiff pillows or blocks are placed tightly on either side of his head. A combination of headstraps, chinstraps, and tapes are then tightly secured over the pillows/blocks and the board to fixedly hold the patient's head in place on the board.
Currently, there are several typical types of head immobilizers in use that are incorporated generally with a flat backboard. One type of head immobilization system utilizes a pair of reusable blocks, which are formed of a pliant, yet supportive material such as rigid foam or a suitable vinyl material. Generally, such blocks are secured to a board with hook and loop fastening structures, such as Velcro®.
Another type of immobilizer is disposable and utilizes inexpensive cardboard, which is manipulated to form a support structure for the head and neck. Generally, such a cardboard material is temporarily coupled to a backboard with an adhesive material. Other types of head immobilization systems utilize a combination of reusable and disposable elements that may be temporarily coupled to a backboard.
Although such systems have proven suitable for use with a backboard to immobilize a patient, they present other problems. While reusable foam or vinyl blocks may be relatively inexpensive, due to reuse, they must be repeatedly cleaned and maintained after each use to prevent the transmission of unsafe pathogens, either through blood or other bodily fluid, such as vomit. Repeated cleaning of the blocks may cause premature deterioration of the blocks and their covering or outer skin. As such, after a certain amount of use, even reusable blocks will need to be replaced.
Another problem with such reusable blocks is that they are difficult to store when not in use. Separation of key pieces of the patient immobilization equipment for the purpose of storage can often lead to lost or misplaced items. This is particularly critical at an accident or medical emergency when the retrieval time may be critical for the patient's health and well being.
During patient treatment at an accident scene, or on the way to a hospital, emergency medical personnel will often have to perform evaluations regarding the medical condition of the patient. In doing so, they may need to refer to medical references and other data. This often distracts them from patient attention, however briefly, or delays them in their triage efforts. Coupled with gathering all of the various parts or pieces for a suitable immobilization, the emergency medical worker has significant distractions that take them away from a patient.
Therefore, there is a need for a patient immobilization device that addresses various of these drawbacks. Particularly, there is a need for an immobilization device that is readily used to immobilize a patient with minimal intermediate steps. There is also a need for an immobilization device that is useful for diagnostic medical evaluation of the immobilized patient.